


Sickness of the Mind - Quarantine

by AllThatNoise



Series: Sickness of the Mind [5]
Category: Left 4 Dead 2, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:36:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9066097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllThatNoise/pseuds/AllThatNoise





	

I had just finished my 4rd scavenging mission two weeks ago and haven’t been on a new one for a while. All I’m doing is clean up duty around the safe zone and other meaningless tasks that doesn’t involve going outside. I almost want to tell Mycroft about my invisibility but its best that no one knew of it. I can remember the suspicious look John gave me after the witch incident, I think he pushed that event behind him but he frequently glanced my way more than usual when we were paired up on my 3rd mission. Thankfully we didn’t encounter as much infected that day. Maybe if I play the good girl for a little longer they might let me to scavenge alone. I really hope that I’m alone in my future missions, not that I’m afraid that my ability might be noticeable; it’s more for the curiosity. I really want to know if I can still hear them talk especially since I’ve spent this long with other survivors. I shake the plan out of my head as I stare up at the ceiling of 221B Baker Street, idly tossing a ball of yarn in the air, watching the faded colors jump and spin for a few milliseconds that it defied gravity and then catching it. If I was high right now I’d probably fall in love with the menial activity but it’s only making me fidgety. I was too caught up in my own problems that I didn’t hear Sherlock enter the main room. His baritone voice startled me enough that I missed catching the ball and it rolled over to the tall man. He gives

“Get ready to leave.”

I questionably look up at him, it sucks being short sometimes. “What for?”

He picks up my backpack and stands over by the door. “You normally bring your pack whenever you go outside the safe zone.”

I stay seated on the couch with my arms folded. “I know that but why does that concern you?”

He quickly glides across the room over to me before continuing. “I have a case for you…a scavenging mission if you will.” I had to fight the urge to jump up and hug the weirdo I needed a reason to get out of here, any reason. I almost didn’t care what we were looking for, almost. I reluctantly forced myself to look suspiciously at him but his long finger finds its way to my lips. “You’re bored as am I, so I’m making the most of… our current living arrangements. I need your help in locating a few items for my experiments and I can help you properly sneak out of here without detection.” I open my mouth to talk but Sherlock presses his finger firmly over my lips to stop me. “I’m a detective, it’s obvious that from your history, as much that you were willing to discharge; that you’re uncomfortable staying stationary. You’d prefer the thrill and possible danger outside with the infected than the benign predictable safe zone. You don’t know it but you have similar interests as John.”

I move Sherlock’s finger aside, I stand up to grab my backpack before grinning his way. “What are you waiting for?”

Basically we are looking around different areas for Sherlock’s experiments, throughout our scavenging we’ve haven’t come across any infected. It appears that we were lucky enough to wander into what I’d call a dead zone, an area in a city that is temporarily empty of infected due to noisy survivors or a boomer. It’s always best to take advantage of dead zones. As we search the area Sherlock and I just talked, which was nice. He even listened to me talk about some of my experiences at the beginning of the infection and he’d return with a few interesting stories of his past cases. So far it this scavenging mission turned out to be more fun than I expected. It wouldn’t last, before I know it I hear a few raspy voices talking to one another from a dark alley near us. We enter an abandoned store and crouch behind the large broken window. I quickly glance behind us and notice that most of the contents in the store were looted excluding a few stray food cans. The small group of infected were a decent distance away from us so they couldn’t hear us talk about the situation.

The infected didn’t appear to be much of a threat and I was contemplating making a run through the alleys once they were far enough away. While Sherlock was in the middle of explaining his plan, I hear a low snarl from nearby. ‘Yeeessssssssssss…jusssssst a little closssssssssssssser….’ I bite my bottom lip as my eyes dart around everywhere trying to locate the voice. I pat Sherlock on the back to get his attention and shushed him. I continue to hear the other infected mumble to each other but I couldn’t find the owner of the voice. I suddenly hear light footstep from overhead and tell Sherlock that a hunter was about to attack something as I reach into my pack for Jawbreaker. He catches on quickly and picks up a heavy food can from the ground and waits. The few minutes of silence felt like forever until we hear a loud growling yell a few yards away from us, apparently the hunter pounced onto a stray common infected that wandered away from the group. While the hunter went to work on shredding the poor guy to pieces the others in the groups quickly turned to attack the hunter. Ignoring the infected cries of anger for their friend I grab Sherlock’s arm and tugged him toward a side door leading out into the alleyway.

At first he wouldn’t budge and said, “Don’t you want to learn why the infected would attack each other?”

I shake my head and pulled a hesitant Sherlock up to his feet. “Their friend was just attacked by a jerk wouldn’t you want revenge too?”

Sherlock then gave me a questionable look before following me to the exit. “Why would you speak of the infected as if they were sentient?”

I nervously shrug my shoulders as I wait for the taller man to jump up the fire escape. “I-I don’t know. I think I was going crazy being on my own for so long. No other survivors to talk to, but plenty of infected.” I try to jump onto the fire escape but it was too high for me. I kick the nearest wall in frustration, it really sucks being short. I peek around the edge of the alley and notice the small commotion of infected wandering closer, I nearly panic. I couldn’t go out there, not with tall pale and kind of cute watching. Wait a minute, did I just say that he was kind of cute? I hear a shrill whistle from above me and grin to see Sherlock leaning down to help me up. It didn’t take long for him to pull me up and we continue on the rooftops. The sun was setting faster than I’d expected but at the pace we were going we were bound to make it to the gate before nightfall. By the time we’ve made it, Harold the usual gatekeeper wasn’t at his post; instead a new guy was manning everything. I didn’t like this one bit. Sherlock says that the new guard’s name was Walter and he was a fresh recruit that barely seen any action outside the safe zone. We wave to get his attention and we immediately get yelled at for being out so late. I tried to be polite and calm the jerk down so he wouldn’t alert any nearby infected but I was too late. A boomer slowly trudges its way toward our direction and I was barking back at the idiot to just let us in.

“’m not taking orders from a lowly scavenger! I’ll shoot the bastard and then let you in.”

I face palmed myself as the new recruit try and failed to shoot the now enraged boomer from afar. It was falling into a run now straight at us and I wasn’t sure if it was going to ignore me like usual or plow through me to get to Sherlock. With Jawbreaker in hand, I prepare for the heavy blow but get a face full of bile just at the nick of time. I slowly look over my shoulder to see Sherlock soaked head to toe with bile as well, his face cringing from the foul odor. I hurriedly call up to the bastard to let us in but he panics.

“I’m not letting you in, you’ll infect us all!” My eye twitch in irritation, “This stuff doesn’t turn you into an infected…” A loud shrilling cry bellows in the distance and I cringe. “It _attracts_ infected to you! You need to let us in now before more of them get here!”

Thankfully John was there and ordered the dip-shit to let us in. Once we were finally inside a few guards surrounded me and Sherlock, I just happened to notice some snickering under their masks. I set my backpack onto the ground for them to confiscate. I didn’t want any trouble, besides I was supposed to be a good girl. “The bile isn’t infectious at all. I’ve seen many survivors doused with this stuff and they were alright...” That was when I hear Walter cockily interrupt me by the gate and before I knew it Sherlock had set his hand over my shoulder when he noticed that I was trembling but not from fear. Oh no it was from unbridled rage.

“I wouldn’t listen to that lying American bitch. I say we lock up or kick ‘em out.” I would have been fine if he didn’t say anything, but hearing him berate my knowledge about the infection was the last straw. Clearly the other guards must have warned him about consequences for his loud mouth, if not I was going to show him. As soon as Walter was in my sight I lunged at the turd and punched him in the face a few times. So much for being the good girl. Sherlock was instructed to keep me still while a taken back Walter was forced into our little circle, shouting and cursing to be let out. I grin when I see his face, with a swollen lip and bloody nose. I turn to John and reaffirmed what I said before and he announced that we’ll have to go into quarantine for the next 12 hours. The other guards hold their weapons up to push us to the medical wing of the safe zone. I turn my head back to Walter and gave him my sweetest smile before saying. “Oops looks like you’ll be quarantined with this American bitch.” I turn to John but he gives me a stern look meaning that ‘Now wasn’t the best moment to talk and just follow orders.’

When we make it to the medical wing, the guard tells the three of us to strip off their clothes. The only one having trouble listening to the instruction was Walter but he shuts up when he sees me undress. I turn my back to the jerk but I can practically feel his eyes on me. Sherlock noticed how uncomfortable I was and offered to block the other man’s view of me. I thank him as I slip off the last of my soaked clothes. “It’s not my first time in quarantine.” I can feel Walter leering at me and notice that Sherlock widen when he notices my scars, I think he’s finally realizing that I know more than he thought.  I shrug my shoulders as I wait for the others to finish undressing. They then moved us to the wash rooms and sprayed us with cold water before handing us patient gowns. Once we were dressed the three of us were escorted to the only unoccupied quarantine room. It was a sterile white room devoid of furniture with bright lights and a large one way mirror. I plop myself onto the ground at a corner and stretch out my legs, looking up to the other men as they wander inside the room. Sherlock gives me a contemplating look then sits down nearby. Walter stands over to the farthest corner diagonal to us, leaning against the wall as he stares at me from the corner of his eye.

He flicks his tongue and grins toward me. I glare daggers at the man but I bite my tongue to stop myself from yelling or worse. I turn to Sherlock and try to strike a conversation. “So, what will they do with all of the stuff we found?”

“I believe they’ll decontaminate everything and if they pass inspection return anything that isn’t of use.”

“Which means 75% of the stuff we found is gone.”

“Yes.”

I slide my back onto the floor, before replying. “Guess you’ll have to scrounge up another list then.” Sherlock blinks at the strange woman but quickly figures out what I wanted to continue helping him. Our simple moment didn’t last long when Walter chimes in.

“Really? Striking up a normal conversation while in quarantine? We could change into those ugly half dead shits outside! Don’t _you_ feel guilty for condemning me here?”

“If any of us were truly infected we would have shown symptoms as soon as the infection began.”

“Sherlock, do you remember what you said about me before we left; that I liked the thrill of being around the infected more than the predictability in the safe zone. Well you have me pegged all wrong. I actually like the predictable life, but not with other survivors, I feel safer around the infected. Stuff like this…people like him; everything is unpredictable _in here_. I’m not sure if I’ll be rewarded or shot for my actions and I don’t like not knowing. At least out there, with _them_ , I know what to expect.”

“You’re just like those crazy nut jobs earlier in the infection; they didn’t feel safe here too and ended up dead outside with those damned creatures. Even if some of those bastards might still be alive, they’re no better than the ‘infected now. ”

“It might be dangerous but at least I know what they’re capable of.”


End file.
